Close-up: An Interview with Gia Skova

MULTI-TALENTED actress and director Gia Skova joins us on Close-up Culture to discuss her work on The Serpent, action movies and her ambitions for the future.

Q: You wrote, directed and starred in The Serpent. How did you find the experience of making your own film and being involved in every stage of the creative process?

A: ACTUALLY, the way I worked on The Serpent was quite amusing. I wasn’t really giving it much of my time, usually when I was free in-between some other projects. I really have no problems with writing, I make up new scripts every day.

Q: Did you enjoy the opportunity to defy a lot of expectations with this film and show that models can also be directors and badass action stars?

A: THAT was quite an experience, to complete the project from beginning till the end. I have to mention we’re still working on post production now, however, one can say the film is ready now. To my mind, it is a very simple work and I hope audiences will appreciate my debut work.

I have to say it’s hard work, being both on screen and off the screen as a head of the project, the producer. I loved Ben Affleck as an actor before, but now, having seen him as both an actor and a producer, I have even more respect for all his hard work behind the scenes.

Gia working on The Serpent

Q: What do you love about the action genre and do you have any favourite action stars?

A: YES, of course I love the action genre. I love cinema in general. I am mostly attracted to the stunt work, stunt fighting and stunt driving, I have to say, I did all the stunts myself in the film. Working with this specific team gives you that sort of drive.

My favourite action star number one is Tom Cruise. His films never cease to amaze me and his acting skills are very high. I’d love to take part in a Mission Impossible film. His work is simply breath-taking.

Q: Has your work on The Serpent given you the desire to direct more films? If so, is there a director you aspire to?

A: THE Serpent has certainly unlocked my producer potential and desire to create more projects. I am launching two new projects at the moment. One is a mesmerizing spy story, surprisingly based on a true life story. I love spy stuff.

The second film is a light children’s adventure story of Cinderella as I see it, you can say it goes back to my own childhood and some events I experienced when I was a kid. It is entirely a new format and even The Serpent was created in a new format – I mean the technical side.

Q: You star alongside Olga Kurylenko in Clive Tonge’s upcoming film Mara. What can you tell us about role and your time working on this project?

A: I had a really small role in that film, but I am happy I took part in that project and worked with an amazing team of actors.

Q: You have had a remarkable journey to get where you are. What stands out as the biggest challenge you’ve faced along the way?

A: LIFE is the biggest challenge. You wake up in the morning and the world is waiting for you to play its game. From my early years, I have never stopped dreaming and the biggest challenge would probably be to stop dreaming. You know, I had a lot of courage which stays there still. I have been through tough times in my life, but I’ve always stood still and used a bit of that childish innocence, having faith in the power that makes me overcome any obstacles.

Q: What do you still want to accomplish in your career?

A: I think art always has room for perfection. There isn’t a specific point where you could stop and say “I’ve reached everything I wanted to”. One of my greatest goals is creating films that would be remembered for generations, the films that would be changing millons of people’s destinies for the better. I’d like to create films that could teach true values.

I have a dream of opening a children’s centre, where the young ones would not only be learning and practicing, but also creating something valuable during their stay there. And the films made by my production company would be setting example.

Q: Are you any upcoming projects you can tell us about?

A: YES, just a few words about the two projects I mentioned earlier. I can not add anything else right now, but I promise they will be unforgettable.